


Declaration of Paternity

by coraxes



Series: dishonored shorts [5]
Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drabble Sequence, Gen, I think?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-12-01 23:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20938766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coraxes/pseuds/coraxes
Summary: Corvo never had to tell anyone he was Emily's father. He just stopped denying it.





	Declaration of Paternity

Corvo stops by Emily’s rooms before reporting to Havelock, but finds only Callista sitting at the desk. “Emily’s downstairs.” She hesitates. “I saw her drawing yesterday. She…wouldn’t be swayed from the title.”

Emily has left him many drawings, but Callista could only mean one. “Jess—the Empress and I told her not to talk like that,” he begins. “But she’s…”

“She’s been through a lot,” Callista finishes gently.

Doesn’t Corvo know it. But he can only be Emily’s bodyguard now. When they’re back in the tower, he’ll be her father again. Until then—they’ll both need to be more discreet.

* * *

Emily tucks herself into Corvo’s side and falls asleep minutes after Samuel sets off. Corvo still isn’t sure exactly how long he was unconscious before he woke up in the Flooded District—but she probably pounded her fists on that door for as long as Havelock imprisoned her.

He says as much to Samuel, who chuckles. “She’s a bold one. Expect she gets that from her father.”

Emily has already lost one parent. He won’t let her lose two, go back to being just a bodyguard after this. “Her mother more than me,” he says finally, and Samuel only nods.

* * *

“One more thing,” says the minister of public relations, waving the morning’s newspaper. “It would help if we could issue a confirmation that the empress’s father was from Gristol along with a denial of any other ancestry—”

After the damage Burrows caused with his broadcasts, Corvo knows public relations are important. They still give him a headache. And the urge to stab something. “Seeing as her father is Serkonan, that would be difficult,” he snaps.

The minister blinks and stares at him. Corvo stares back until she turns red and scribbles something on her notepad. “Alright—no denial, then.”

* * *

“No one ever mentioned you look alike,” Wyman lies, inclining their head to where Emily holds court on the other side of the ballroom. “You have the same…” They make a serious face, raise one eyebrow, and nod solemnly at Corvo.

Around them, conversations stutter. Rumors persist as they have since Jessamine started showing, but Dunwall nobility stopped prying so directly about Emily’s parentage years ago. Wyman is too much of a newcomer to care. Though Corvo thinks Wyman knows exactly what they’re doing.

So does he. Corvo raises an eyebrow and solemnly nods. “Jessamine always said the same thing.”

* * *

Corvo has never minded giving a demonstration. So once Corvo and Emily’s practice-yard bout begins to attract a crowd, Corvo draws the fight out, lets Emily show off her skill. She’s getting to be very good, and at eighteen her reflexes are better than his—but she finally leaves an opening so obvious he _has _to take it. Corvo sends her sword spinning from her hand and knocks her to the ground in one move.

Emily glances at the crowd, smirks, and asks, “Really, Father?”

He ignores the sudden hush. “Really, dear,” he says, and offers her a hand up.

**Author's Note:**

> i dunno i just replayed dishonored and i love them. and the idea that emily always kinda knew corvo was her dad.
> 
> comments & kudos are, as always, much appreciated.


End file.
